


Best Friend's Since ??? Grade

by WolfSpirit00



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-29 14:29:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19402228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfSpirit00/pseuds/WolfSpirit00
Summary: The Link that Rhett met in 1st grade was switched with a nearly identical kid a couple of years later by accident. Our Link finally comes clean about that to Rhett, and this is the fallout.





	Best Friend's Since ??? Grade

**Author's Note:**

> Another little drabble mainly because Discord character limit. Made for the same friend and from another discussion with that friend. May eventually expand into a full size fic.

"Get away from me! You... IMPOSTER!" Rhett shoved his friend away. No.. this wasn't his friend... He didn't even know this guy's actual name! "You aren't my friend, where is he?!"  
  
Link stumbled and fell back, hitting the pavement hard. Rhett didn't even seem to care and that in and of itself sent a cold knife into his heart. He knew Rhett would act like this, though... that's why he lied.  
  
For over 33 years he lied... but he had to come clean now. He couldn't keep lying to his friend like this. It hurt every time he had to say that they met in first grade. It hurt every time those first few years and how they 'met' were brought up... which was a lot. Because Rhett was right... he _was_ an imposter. The person Rhett had met in first grade... he was friends with that kid for about two or three years when it happened. Link didn't remember much, but he was switched with a kid that looked identical to him one day, when the two of them were in the hospital. Link never knew how it happened but it did. Hell, he didn't even remember what his old name was. Those first few years of his life were a blur... a horrible blur. He should have said something... but he had been so lonely, so sad. To be able to start over? Of course he took the opportunity. He tried to keep an eye on his double, who seemed to be confused but settled into his own new life quite easily.  
  
So life went on... the kid who wasn't truly Link, took over the boy's life, quickly becoming best friends with the tall blonde boy, while the kid who originally was born as Link settled into his own new life (ironically, who's first name was also 'Charles', which he preferred to Link).  
  
But Link knew that Rhett wouldn't see it that way. But he had hoped and prayed that Rhett would understand... or at least realize that regardless of the first couple of years, they still were best friends. They still went through more together than Rhett had with the boy before, and had he taken the time to remember, they didn't even become best friends until after Link showed up. They were still brothers.

But no... Link's fears were right. He hit the ground, the pavement stinging his hands as they were cut up, and looked up at Rhett in anguish, "Rhett, please... we are friends... I've been there since we were kids. We've been through it all. We-"

"Shut up you liar! Tell me where the friend I met in first grade is!" Rhett was livid. The friend he thought he had this whole time was... was a lie?! The boy he met as a kid wasn't the best friend he had all this time? And this... this imposter lied this whole time!? Rhett was set to find his friend from first grade and make things right! He didn't care what this fucker said, it wasn't the person he thought he was.  
  


* * *

  
"Oh...." Rhett sat awkwardly. He found him... he found the real Link... well... Charles. The person that Link ended up getting switched with was ironically named Charles, so that at least made Rhett's wrapping his head around this a little easier. But...

Rhett shifted a little as he grabbed his sandwich to eat. They ended up getting lunch together, but... this man barely remembered him. There was some recollection there, but not what Rhett would have expected. Rhett also couldn't help but cringe a little to himself as Charles ate his sandwich happily with extra tomatoes. Saying Barbara couldn't come, because he didn't like animals very much, was bad enough...

Rhett barely had an appetite, which was a lot from him, but he couldn't shake how awkward this felt. This... this wasn't his friend. The man in front of him, though looking very similar to his friend, held himself completely wrong, presented himself totally wrong. He had very little humor. He wasn't witty or clever... he just... wasn't Link.

No wonder they never became best friends while he was still 'Link'.  
  
"Yea, so, the switch was strange and surprising. But my family was so broken and messed up. I was kind of tired of it, so I decided to try out this new family. I expected the other kid to say something but he never did so I ran with it."

So this kid didn't even mind the switch. Rhett's head was reeling. They were basically identical twins, switched as young kids, both realized, both preferred their new life, neither said a thing to anyone, and had Link not finally come clean, nobody would have probably ever even known.

And... Charles didn't miss Rhett. Charles barely remembered him. Charles was almost the polar opposite of Link.

Rhett realized he made a terrible mistake...

* * *

  
The lunch wrapped up quickly, Charles not really finding any interest in any of Rhett's attempts to reconnect and Rhett growing more and more dismayed. They may have had a fantastic first couple of years as friends but that's all they were... friends for a couple of years. Absolutely nothing special. It wasn't until the switch happened did Rhett really become best friends with the chipmunk cheeked kid he knew to be Link.  
  
Link hadn't talked to him in days though... he hadn't reached out, hadn't sent a text, hadn't done a thing. There was a break in recording since they were supposed to be doing other things, but that meant Rhett couldn't even catch him in the office. Christy had no idea what was wrong, but Jessie had no idea what was wrong either, and Rhett wasn't opening up to what had caused this.

Finally Rhett was able to track Link down. The man's calendar was still hooked up to his car, after all. So when an appointment pinged itself to Rhett, he was able to wait for the man at home. Christy and the kids were away so it was the perfect chance.

When Link pulled into the driveway, he didn't even acknowledge Rhett waiting for him, and almost closed the door in his face had Rhett not shoved his foot in the door, "Link, please, we need to talk, man!" This had to be about the twentieth time he'd said that since Link stepped out of his car, and finally, _finally_ it led to a response, "About what, Rhett? You found your friend. Why do you need to talk to me of all people? The liar and imposter?" The pain dripped from his voice like a waterfall, but his eyes were dry....all dried up from the crying he had done for days straight. Rhett couldn't see the bruises on Link's arms or the cuts on his hands from Link overdoing it far too much at the gym, purposefully punishing himself for both lying to his friend, and loosing him.  
  
"Link... please... I made a mistake. You're right, he might have been who I met but you're my friend. Can we please, forget about him? I'm sorry..." Rhett thought that would be enough. He saw he was wrong, he apologized. That should be enough...But clearly it didn't scratch the surface, "Sorry? You're _SORRY_?" Link's voice cracked in pain and rage mixed into one stomach clenching emotion. The dam burst in his eyes, new tears finding a well of pain he didn't even realize he had as they flooded down his cheeks, "After all we've been through, after all we've done. And you just... _left_! Does everything we've been through mean nothing to you, Rhett? Do _I_ mean nothing to you?!" Link spun, stumbling away into the house as he clenched fistfuls of his hair, pulling and trying to focus on the pain so he didn't burst into a million pieces. He eventually sunk to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. He thought he managed to bottle all of this up but apparently not.

Rhett ran inside after his friend, sinking to the ground next to him. He'd never seen Link so broken he actually tried to hurt himself before. Link had sometimes tried to overdo physical activity when he was having a particularly rough day but Rhett always stopped him. That's when he saw the bruises and scratches and another sharp pain exploded in his chest. He had caused that... But he knew to stay silent for now.

"We've been best friends for thirty-three years, Rhett... _Thirty-Three_... But... it doesn't matter to you, does it? I'm not the Link you met so nothing we've been through matters. You didn't even give me time to explain... you-" His throat tightened, cutting off any hopes to continue his train of thought. He pulled his legs up as his whole body shook. But as much as he was trying to push Rhett away, he couldn't help as his body leaned itself close to Rhett as the long arms held him.

Link expected Rhett to leave. The blonde showed that their friendship... it wasn't real, not what Link thought it had been. It was two years too short. So Rhett would leave, since he wasn't the 'real Link' and not worthy of their friendship. But to his surprise Rhett stayed, and once the sobbing finally quieted down to only occasional sniffles, Rhett spoke again, "I'm an idiot, Link... I'm an absolute. fucking. idiot." He squeezed Link, hugging him tight for a moment even though the (former) brunette didn't react, "I'm sad the memories of how we met aren't actually ours. But... you're right. _You_ are the kid I grew up with... you're my best friend... my brother... I was an idiot to even consider it an issue that the switch happened. I wish you had told me earlier but... I guess I can't blame you, considering how I acted." He held Link tight, knowing it would help push back the obvious panic, anxiety and other 'bad thoughts' that were jumping around the man's head, "If I broke our trust... I understand. I won't blame you if you can't forgive me. But I love you, bro... Regardless of the strange circumstances of you and the other... you."

Link was silent for the longest time, but he didn't push Rhett away. Rhett knew that Link's mind was going a million miles a second, even if it didn't show. And a lot of that was terrible, terrible thoughts. At times his shaking got a lot worse, at other times it nearly stopped. He was processing, and having an internal debate with himself. Deciding if he should forgive Rhett... if they could ever go back to how they were even if he did forgive him, let alone with the new information. After what seemed like an eternity, Link looked up at his friend. His eyes were still bloodshot from a few stray tears that still ran down his face.

Being betrayed by the one person in his life who he thought would never betray him... it hurt...

But he could never turn away from his best friend. If Rhett was willing to forgive him, then Link would too. It didn't matter who was more wrong with what they did or who truly deserved forgiveness or not. Link didn't want telling the truth to cause him to loose his better half. He was truthful when he had said that there was a lot of him he wouldn't be without Rhett. "I could never not forgive you, bo... I love you, man." Rhett smiled softly, "Love you too, Linkster." They sat silently for a little longer, Rhett keeping Link in a snug hug, knowing his brain needed the firm contact right now. Things would not just immediately be perfect and great like nothing ever happened, but they would get there. Their friendship was far too strong to let one serious stumble knock them down.

After a while longer of silence, Rhett spoke again, "Besides. The other you is a jerk, anyway."

And at that, Link laughed.


End file.
